Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has called on the French football federation to
offer to replay the controversial World Cup play-off against the Republic of
Ireland.

Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry blatantly handled before providing the ball for defender William Gallas to score the goal that knocked Ireland out of the competition.

“I believe it’s embarrassing,” said Wenger. “I support France and it’s embarrassing to have qualified the way we qualified.

“It raises many issues. First of all, the biggest one is how can football sort out this kind of problem and make sure it doesn’t happen again?

“We want all sport to be fair. Now let’s be realistic. Football, and sport in general, is full of heroes who have cheated 10 times more than Thierry. People who have bought games, bought referees, have played on drugs… they’re the real cheats.

“Thierry Henry has been singled out for me in the wrong way. A player of his stature has massive pressure on his shoulders. France, as a country, has to do something for Thierry and not leave him out there alone against the whole road.

“France has to say ‘yes, it was a handball, we have to replay’, or ‘yes it was a handball, but it might have gone against us as well’. They shouldn’t leave Thierry Henry out there.”

Wenger also believes technology would have solved the problem, adding: “The best solution would be technology. The biggest anger for me is that we are in 2009 still sitting here with a billion people seeing what happened and one guy that doesn’t, and you cannot help him.

“At the end of the day, we turn the anger against a player who’s one of the fairest I’ve managed. It was an instinctive reaction. In the same game, Robbie Keane touched the ball with his hand and the referee saw it. I want justice in sport.

“Football has a big responsibility today to show how you want international life to go on and show how you’d want the game. The situation now? France can offer to replay, which I support personally. Or Fifa can make a decision on that issue. Can we make sure that this doesn’t happen again? That’s all I have to say about that.”